Is Britney moving to Sussex?

Talk has been rife in Northchapel, near Billingshurst, that the pop princess wants to set up home in the pretty village.

Rumours started after one of Britney's friend revealed the star had her heart set on buying Frith Hill House, a £2.5 million, ten-bedroom mansion.

It is just three miles from Kirdford where Robbie Williams is renting a mock castle.

Britney, 23, would join a host of other celebrities, including actress Julie Walters and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, in buying a home in the area.

Like Robbie, she may be hoping to benefit from the peace and quiet of a quintessential English village.

Villagers are already planning ways of bumping into the star if she does buy the mansion.

Eddie Warren, 34, of St Michael's Close, said: "It would be nice to see her do a concert on the green in the summer. People would probably be buying dogs left, right and centre so they could walk them past the house."

Teresa Sandieson, 57, landlady at the Half Moon pub, said: "I think a lot of old men would be leering after her if she came down here."

Barmaid Sharon Hill, 22, said: "I'm not that bothered really.

"If Robbie was moving into Northchapel I might be interested."

Chris Warner, 47, of Petworth Road, said: "It would definitely get the male vote if Britney moved here. I can see why she'd want to live here, the house is quite far out of the village so she would get her privacy.

"I don't imagine she'd spend much time there though. I can't see her coming to the pub to do karaoke.

"The area's becoming quite a hot spot for celebrities."

The parish of Northchapel, which sits two miles south of the county border with Surrey, is home to 775 people and covers 3,500 acres.

Britney made a flying visit to Brighton last summer. Later she revealed: "I loved Brighton. It was very nice and I would love to go back as soon as possible. It was very pretty and very simple and I liked how quaint all the little streets were. It was very nice and I liked it a lot."

She was less taken when presented with one of Brighton's famous delicacies, however. When given a stick of rock in an interview, her response was a baffled: "Er, what, you eat this thing?"

After a quick explanation, she tucked in and said: "Oh, thank you so much, it's very cool."

At the time she admitted she might follow the likes of Madonna and Angelina Jolie and move to London after revealing Britain was her favourite holiday spot.

She said: "I love London too. I'm gonna move there one day, I swear."

The American singer, 23, started looking outside London after Madonna told her of the joys of living in Wiltshire.

Britney passed up the chance to buy the £3 million former home of Madonna's hubby Guy Ritchie.

If she does buy Frith Hill House, Britney could be stumped for entertainment as village nightlife is confined to the Half Moon pub and Deep Well Inn.

If the urge to perform takes over, she could always take to the stage at the village hall.

However, with its capacity of just 200 people, she would struggle to recreate the atmosphere at Wembley Arena where she is due to play on April 26.